NOC says normal gas supply in 10 days

KATHMANDU, FEB 08 -

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottlers said that as imports of the fuel had increased, the supply situation would return to normal in the next 10 days even as frantic customers continued to mob gas depots.

According to NOC, gas imports have been upped from Feb 2 after an emergency meeting of the cabinet approved a loan of Rs 2 billion to the state-owned oil monopoly to pay for fuel imports.

According to NOC, 52 bullets (one bullet fills 1,250 cylinders and is equivalent to 18 tonnes) of LPG were loaded at different bottling plants on Monday, which is higher than the country’s normal demand. The monthly requirement of LPG in the country is 4.2 million cylinders.

NOC spokesperson Mukunda Prasad Dhungel said that the supply situation would not return to normal immediately amid the panic buying, but that it would improve gradually. “Given the current improved LPG supply situation, the country is likely to see normal availability of cooking gas from Feb 15,” Dhungel said.

A cut in LPG deliveries last December had deepened the crisis. The country has been witnessing an acute LPG shortage since the last one and a half months. NOC had attributed the reduced shipments to a shortage at the Barauni refinery in India from where Nepal imports LPG.

Angered by the prolonged shortage, crowds had resorted to taking control of trucks transporting LPG and selling the fuel among themselves on the road. On Tuesday, people stopped a truck carrying gas cylinders of Shree Krishna Gas in the Maitidevi-Ghattekulo area. The irate consumers swarmed over the vehicle accusing dealers of hoarding gas and black marketing.

Meanwhile, the Nepal LP Gas Industry Association (NLPGIA) has also expressed optimism that the shortage would ease with the increased imports. “If the current import trend continues for four-five days more, the LPG supply will return to normal within 10 days,” said Hari Pathak, president of the NLPGIA.

According to the NLPGIA, it will take at least four-five days for gas shipments to arrive in the market if they are being dispatched from the Barauni refinery. 

LPG SALES TO 32 BOTTLING PLANTS

(EXCLUDING EASTERN REGION)

DATE        QUANTITY

Feb 1    231.41 tonnes   

Feb 2    550.03 tonnes       

Feb 3    426.75 tonnes       

Feb 4    337.46 tonnes       

Feb 5    444.64 tonnes       

Feb 6    408.53 tonnes   

Source: Kantipur/NOC